Men's basketball: Ohio State falls short in toughness test

Playing Wisconsin is a grind. For all 40 minutes of a game, and all 35 seconds of every possession, the Badgers attempt to impose their methodical pace and, ultimately, their will on an opponent.

Bob Baptist, The Columbus Dispatch

Playing Wisconsin is a grind. For all 40 minutes of a game, and all 35 seconds of every possession, the Badgers attempt to impose their methodical pace and, ultimately, their will on an opponent.

For the second time in three home games, eighth-ranked Ohio State wasn't strong enough to handle that level of toughness yesterday.

No. 16 Wisconsin scored seven of the game's last 10 points to overcome a one-point deficit in the final 63 seconds and defeat Ohio State 63-60 in the last game of the season at Value City Arena.

"Our ability to sustain what needed to be sustained, be it offensive execution or defensive stops, we weren't able to get those things done," coach Thad Matta said after Ohio State (23-6, 11-5 Big Ten) lost for the third time in five games.

The Buckeyes' chances of winning at least a share of their third straight Big Ten championship are hanging by a thread. They fell two games behind first-place Michigan State with two to play: at Northwestern and Michigan State. Michigan State's other game is at Indiana on Tuesday.

"We can't keep our heads down," guard Aaron Craft said. "We need to come back and try to refocus and get ready for Northwestern on Wednesday."

Deshaun Thomas scored 23 points to lead Ohio State but also pulled the trigger on the most stupefying shot of the game.

With Ohio State trailing 61-59, Matta called a timeout with 25.5 seconds left to draw up the final play. With the shot clock off, Thomas lifted off from the top of the key to attempt a three-pointer with 16 seconds left, double-clutched as defender Ryan Evans rushed at him from deep in the lane and threw up an off-balance shot.

"I didn't like the shot," said Matta, who said Thomas should have faked Evans off his feet and tried to make a play off the dribble.

"I thought I was wide open. He got out there off the screen quick," Thomas said of Evans, who had been sagging inside to double-team Jared Sullinger. "It was great defense by him."

Jared Berggren got the rebound for Wisconsin, was fouled and made two free throws for a 63-59 Badgers lead with 14.3 seconds left.

Ohio State got two shots and a couple of tips on its final possession but netted only a free throw by Craft with six-tenths of a second left.

Buford had 15 points in his final home game, and Craft 13.

Jordan Taylor scored 19 points and Berggren 18 for Wisconsin (21-8, 10-6). They accounted for their team's last 15 points, including an open, go-ahead three-pointer by the 6-foot-10 Berggren with 30.7 seconds left.

Sullinger got caught trying to trap Taylor on a screen by Berggren, only to have Berggren instead slide to the left wing unguarded. Buford, the apparent help defender in the left corner, made no move to contest the shot.

"We weren't together for the whole 40 minutes," Buford said. "Sometimes we went off on our own, doing our own thing."

Buford had five points in a 9-0 run that gave Ohio State a 50-42 lead with 8:14 left. But the Buckeyes were outscored 10-1 in the next 41/2 minutes as Sullinger was forced to the bench by an apparent leg injury.

"We did a really good job as a unit after that 9-0 run," Taylor said. "We got down eight but we kept chipping away."

Wisconsin scored on nine of its last 11 possessions, totaling 21 points. Ohio State scored on six of its last 12 and totaled 10 points. The Buckeyes missed five of their last seven free throws and nine of 19 in the game.

"You always measure people by what it takes to discourage them," Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan said. "If you get discouraged, if you get frustrated, it certainly doesn't help in the game of basketball.